The Galveston Arts Center is presenting three new exhibitions this Saturday during ArtWalk.  Two Texas artists display the concerns of the natural world and its existence in the critical state of the environment today. Curator Clint Willour will conduct a gallery talk with participating artists for GAC members beginning at 5 p.m. The exhibitions will remain on view through October 5, 2008. GAC exhibitions are always free and open to the public.

Just looking at the photos of some of the work from these artists I can’t wait to see the displays. They take the concerns of the environment and display them so that you’re motivated to think about nature and how it may affect you.

Altman has some other creative two-dimensional works that include torch drawings where she “draws” on a wet piece of paper using a propane torch. The resulting images look like sepia-toned watercolor paintings. Sounds fun.

A selection of burned dictionary pages will also be on view. Burning a dictionary, that sounds like art I could get into. She selects a page from a dictionary containing related words to her subject matter. She then shapes a piece of wire into the outline of an animal, heats the wire and applies it to the dictionary page, thus burning out its silhouette.

Dallas artist, Tracy Hicks, has a bit of stronger installation. These frogs totally creep me out but it will be fascinating to see all the different species that I never saw before…not even in Moody Gardens.  In still/LIFE, Hicks presents more than 1,600 detailed casts of extinct or endangered frogs and toads. The installation asks “What do we find precious enough to preserve?” Each animal contained in a specimen jar, was created from translucent urethane and silicone and infused with brilliant pigments and fluorescent and phosphorescent dyes. These frogs are just the start to Hicks’ display, the installation fragile/natural is the chaotic surroundings of a mad scientist’s laboratory.

Don’t miss this credible display of nature premiering at ArtWalk on Saturday. Until then…what is your favorite art involving animals or what would you choose to preserve? Those Texas cows were always a fav of mine.